U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,632, issued Mar. 7, 1972 to Johnson et al., describes a method and apparatus for growing cells such as microorganisms or cells derived from the tissues or living organisms. The Johnson '632 apparatus enabled the continuous growth of cells in a liquid media suspension. The '632 apparatus could be used in a steady state mode in which cells are drawn off to maintain a constant population of cells or to grow higher concentrations of cells than that normally possible with typical batch cultures.
The Johnson '632 invention was not suitable for growing human and animal cell cultures as monolayer cultures on an artificial solid substrate. In vitro monocultures of cell lines are typically performed in culture vessels such as dishes, flasks and multiwell plates that provided the surfaces upon which the cell monolayer formed.
More recently, roller bottles have been used to grow and harvest animal or human cell cultures such as those manufactured by Becton, Dickinson and Company of Franklin Lakes, N.J.; e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,013 issued Apr. 23, 1991 Serkes et al., which describes a roller bottle for cell growth. The Serkes et al. '013 roller bottle contains a wall formed of a plurality of corrugations; in one embodiment the corrugations are symmetrical and perpendicular to the axis of the bottle, and have at least one drain channel formed by at least one and preferably two opposed flat axial, uncorrugated panels and optionally containing axial reinforcement ribs provided along the outer edge of the corrugations. The corrugations are discontinuous along the inside surface of the panels to form drainage channels. The surface area of the bottle is 110 to 500% larger than an uncorrugated bottle having the same exterior dimensions. The Serkes et al. '013 roller bottle is not suitable for co-culturing of different cell lines such as different human cell lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,705, issued Jun. 18, 1996 to Mussi et al., describes a roller bottle for trans-membrane co-culture of cells. The Mussi '705 roller bottle includes an exterior receptacle with a longitudinal axis having a first chamber surrounded by a sidewall. The exterior receptacle has a first neck at one end having an opening therethrough providing fluid access to said first chamber. The Mussi '705 roller bottle further includes an interior container with a longitudinal axis and a second chamber, the interior container being located coaxially within the exterior receptacle. The interior container has a second neck at one end providing fluid access to the second chamber. The exterior receptacle is formed from a material that is substantially impermeable to gas and liquid and is sealed in a substantially fluid tight fashion forming the first chamber that has fluid access by the first neck. At least a portion of the interior container is formed from a microporous material. The roller bottle of the invention enables culturing one cell type in the presence of another cell type for the study of interactions between the cells while maintaining a physical separation between the cell types providing a scale up in cell population size from well type inserts. The microporous membrane allows free interchange of media soluble cellular products between the cell types, but maintains physical separation.
Still referring to the Mussi '705 patent, in one embodiment the Mussi '705 roller bottle interior container is removable from the exterior receptacle.
None of the above patents and publications, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.